A North Carolina Autumn - Chapter 29: Chapter 29

As more people begin filling the dance floor and the music picks up, Rylie and I take a quick break to eat before joining our friends and family back on the patio.
It looked like the rain was done for the day, though some clouds still hovered along the horizon, slowly gaining color as the sun continued setting in the west. The temperature was slightly cooler now, and the fire pits were lit, the flames crackling softly, mixing with the music and voices of those on the deck.
"We can get food once we get to New Orleans if you want. You don't have to worry about eating a lot right now. Or even if you eat enough now but you're still hungry later." Rylie tells me as I add a small scoop of pasta to my plate.
How she knew me better than I knew myself, I would never know. "Do you ever get annoyed that I eat so much?" I ask with a laugh.
"Nope. Because I eat just as much as you, if not more. I just use you and your hunger as cover." Rylie laughs. "I know I'll be ready to eat again by then, too."
"Oh my God." I laugh, rolling my eyes. "Blame me or use me as your cover whenever you'd like. That's one of the perks of my love." I grin.
"How many of these perks do you have?" Rylie asks as she fills a plate with a few different desserts. "Because I've known you for 17 months, I've loved you for 16 of those months, and the perks seem to just keep coming."
"I guess that's another perk," I shrug, keeping my voice nonchalant. "There are an endless amount of perks."
"Well that's not fair, to you." Rylie pouts. "How am I ever supposed to repay you for these perks?"
"Oh, I can think of a few ways. Mostly having to do with your fingers..."
"Okay!" Rylie hisses, quickly pressing a hand over my mouth. "I get it!" She laughs as she drops her hand, revealing my grin. My smile widens as I take note of the slight blush in her cheeks. I would never get tired of how easily my suggestive comments made her blush.
"Too bad you'll probably be too tired tonight after the long day we've had... I guess I'll have to pay you back once we're on the ship." Rylie says with a shrug.
"I most certainly will not be too tired." I argue. "We'll have plenty of time to sleep in before our boarding time." I assure her with a grin.
"Oh, good." Rylie laughs before pulling me to a nearby table. "Let's go eat."
The rest of the reception passes quickly, and it's filled with dancing, laughter and happiness. I'm grateful for our photographer as she takes pictures and videos of everyone.
I knew I would want to go back years in the future and re-watch Jeremy's goofy, slightly awful dancing, or how cute Sawyer is with our younger cousins. Or the way Rylie is with her little brothers as they dance with her. I knew I would want to remember every single detail of this perfect night with the people I loved most in this world.
As the night starts coming to an end, the music changes, signaling one last slow dance, and I reluctantly let Rylie's dad pull her onto the dance floor for the Father Daughter dance.
I watch as they begin a slow waltz, still slightly stunned at how beautiful she looked in her dress. I jump a little when I feel a tap on my shoulder, and surprise washes over my face when I turn to find Jay.
"Oh! You startled me." I laugh, placing a hand to my chest.
"Sorry about that." Jay laughs before holding out his hand. "Can I have this dance?"
"Oh..." The word is soft as it leaves my mouth, and I feel a new rush of emotion fill my chest. I hadn't been expecting this. "I would really like that." I take Jay's outstretched hand, pleasantly surprised by the warmth and comfort I find there, and let him lead me onto the floor.
Jay keeps my hand in his before slipping his other to my upper back, and we begin slowly swaying to the song. An awkward moment passes before he finally speaks.
"Every young woman deserves to dance with their father at their wedding. I know I'm not your father nor will I ever be, but I wanted to..." He trails off, struggling to find the words he wanted to say.
"Thank you, Jay. This means so much to me. You're not my father, but you're the closest thing I have to one. And I wouldn't be surprised if you do become my step father." I say with a warm smile. "I think it would be really great if that did happen. My mother really cares for you, and I can see that you feel the same. I haven't seen her this happy in so long." Jay is silent for a moment before clearing his throat and speaking.
"Here I was preparing for a lot more of a fight with asking for your blessing." He chuckles. "You truly are one of a kind, Aspen. I love your mother, and if it's alright with you, I'd really like to marry her one day. Not for a long while," He adds quickly. "But one day."
"That is more than okay with me. But," I pull my face into what I hope is even a little bit intimidating. "If you hurt her, I have a small army of cousins that will probably hide pieces of your body all over the country."
Jay's eyes are wide, and he nods quickly. "I would give your mother the world. I would never do anything to hurt her in any way." He assures me, and I don't doubt him for a second.
I knew no one would ever replace my father, but the thought of Jay marrying my mother didn't seem as scary as I thought it would be. When I was younger, the thought of my mother marrying someone else had nearly made me sick. I hadn't been able to see her with someone that wasn't my father. I'd felt like if she had remarried, it was a betrayal to my father. But as I got older, I was able to see how untrue that was.
Both my mother and I would never stop missing or loving my father, but that shouldn't stop either of us from loving other people, too. I know my father would want my mother to find love again, and he wouldn't want me to feel guilty for liking whoever my mother chose to love.
When the song ends, Jay and Brad switch places, and I share a quick, surprised look with Rylie before focusing on Brad.
"Do you know how to waltz?" he asks with a warm smile.
"I do." I grin.
"Perfect." He begins leading me in a slow waltz, and I force myself to trust my feet and not look down. "I'm sorry you don't get to share a dance with your father." He says quietly after a moment. "But I know that he is so proud of you and how well you've done despite his absence. From my own perspective as a father, I would only be able to hope that my own children would be able to even do half as well as you have, were they in a similar position."
I doubt that Brad knows the entire effect his words have on me, but as tears slip from my eyes and a gentle smile settles onto his face, I know he can tell how much his words mean to me. And I know he means every single word.
It's then that I realize that Brad has been more of a father to me in the last year that I've known him than anyone else. The thought brings tears to my eyes, but I don't try to blink them away. It was so easy to see where Rylie got her goodness and ability to love.
"Thank you, Brad." I whisper. More words won't come, but Brad understands.
"You're welcome. Thank you for loving Rylie. I am so thankful you two found each other when you did."
"Me too." I reply with a soft smile.
Me too.
As the reception comes to an end, Rylie and I take some time to say goodbye to our friends and family. My cousins, Spencer and Brad begin loading the wedding gifts into Brad's truck, planning to drop them off at our apartment while Rylie and I are on the cruise.
While Rylie says goodbye to her brothers, I hurry out to our car to grab our bag of clothes to change into. When I get back inside, Rylie meets me just inside the doorway of the reception with Harper in her arms.
"Oh hey there, little babes!" I say in my best baby voice as I crouch a little and take Harpers little fists in my hands. "You want to come on the big ship with us? You're cute enough that they'll probably let you on for free!" Rylie giggles and I glance up to find her staring at me with a look of love, amusement and adoration. I force my knees to stay stead as I look back at Harper. My traitorous knees tended to get weak anytime Rylie gave me a look like that.
Kristen and Dillon appear beside us, along with my mother, and Rylie passes Harper to Dillon.
"Can I help you change?" My mother asks. I nod and pull my things from the bag before passing it to Rylie.
"I'll see you in a bit." I smile and kiss her cheek before following my mother to the rooms we'd spent the morning getting ready in.
The moment the door is shut, questions spill from my mother's mouth. "Do you have everything you'll need? I gave you your birth certificate, right? Did Rylie get hers from Kristen? Did you check in for your flight?"
"Mom," I laugh and place a hand on her arm. "Yes, we are all checked in and have everything we will need in order to board the ship tomorrow."
"Okay. And how about the shuttle from the airport to the..."
"Remember how you were the one to help get everything booked and planned?" I ask her gently. I quickly slip into my soft grey dress before turning to my mother, instantly seeing the tears in her eyes. "Mom, what's wrong?"
She lets out a watery laugh before wiping her eyes. "Oh, I'm such a baby. I don't know why I'm so emotional! You've been living on your own for over a year now, I don't know why I feel like..." She trails off with a shrug.
"Like I'm growing up and leaving you?" I guess as I take her hands and pull her down onto a couch.
"Yes." My mother responds with an embarrassed smile.
"I won't ever leave you, mom. We're going on this cruise, sure, but we'll be back. We'll still be in Charlotte, and you know we'll visit you just as much as you visit us, just like we've done for the past year." I assure her.
"I'm supposed to be the one reassuring you." My mother laughs. "How did I get blessed with such a wonderful daughter?"
"It probably has something to do with who I was raised by." I smile warmly, and she pulls me into a tight hug.
"Rylie is lucky to have you." My mother says softly. "You're staying in Charlotte for a long while, right?" She adds, and I laugh.
"Yes. At least until we both finish school. But even after school, we're not going far. North Carolina is our home."
North Carolina would always be home.